Okeobge william van hobn



e. w, VAN HORNQ" LIGHTNING ARRESTER APPLICATION FILED .|ULY 2|| I915- Patented Aug. 8,1916.

I A TTORNEY GEORGE WILLIAM VAN HORN, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

ALIGHTN'ING-ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application filed July 21, 1915. Serial No. 41,076.

To all cohom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, Gno'nen lVILLIAM VAN HORN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Tulsa, in the county 01 Tulsa and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lightning- Arresters, or which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in lightning arresters, and the invention has for its object to provide a device of the character specified, especially designed to protect oil tanks and the like from the effects of light ning, wherein a series of elevated posts is provided, encircling the tank and supporting a 'net work, of conductors above the tank, the said conductors being insulated from the posts and grounded to attract the charge and lead it harmlessly into the'ground.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of an oil tank provided with the improved arrester, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the top of a supporting post showing the manner of connecting the conductors to the post and to the ground wire within the post, and Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of Fig. 2.

In the present embodiment ofthe invention the tank 1 is encircled by a series of hollow metallic posts, six in number in the present instance, and arranged in hexagonal outline. Each post 2 is of metal and hollow as shown, and consisting of a series of telescoping sections in the present instance, although it is obvious that the posts might be of the same cross section throughout if desired. The posts are braced by a flexible member 3, as for instance, wire of suitable size, the said member being continuous and encircling the posts at the outer sides-thereof. The wire 3 isintermediate the ends of the posts, being at about the top of the. tank as shown. Each post is braced against the inward pull of the Wire 3 and the network to be described by means of guy wires 5, and 6. Each guy wire 5 extends from the post at the level of the wire 3 to a suitable support 7 in the ground, as for instance, a stake, and the guy wire 6 extends from the top of the post to the same support. Each post 'is seated in the ground as shown, a

' sufficient depth to hold the post erect against ordinary strain, and the brace wires 3, 5

. and 6 thoroughly brace the posts against the l weight of the conductors which they support.

A series of conductors 8 is supported by the posts at the inner side thereof, the said conductors extending between adjacent posts, and forming the outline of a hexagon whose sides are parallel with the sides of the hexagon formed by the flexible member 3. Other conductors 9 are arranged between the directly opposite posts, the said conduc tors bemg three in number, and yet other conductors 10 are arranged between the alternate posts, the-said conductors being six in number. Thus each post has connected therewith five conductors, namely, a conductor 9, two conductors 10 and two conductors 8. At each post an insulator is arranged, the said insulator comprising a ring 11 and an eye 12, each,having a stem 13 and 14, respectively, and the stems are connected, by a block 15 of insulating material of sultable character, and the five conductors of each post are connected to the ring 11, the ends of the conductors being bent around the ring and then around the body of the wire as shown at.16 in Figs. 3 and 1. An eye bolt 17 is passed diametrically of the top of each post and is engaged by a nut 18 on the outer side of the post, and the eye of each bolt 17 engages the eye 12 of the adjacent insulator. A brush 19 is arranged at the top of each post, each brush consisting of a series of small copper wires, extending a short distance above the post as shown in Fig. 4, and these wires are held in the top of the post in any suitable manner. The ring 11 at each post is connected to a suitable ground, by means of an insulated conductor 20. One end of each of these conductors is connected to the ring 11 of-the insulator adjacent to the post, and each of the said conductors 20 passes downwardly through the body of the post into the ground, where it is connected to a suitable anchor atsuch a depth that there will be always moisture-around the anchor. The conductor 20 as shown, passes downwardly through the brush to the post intermediate the top of the brush and the top of the post. The series of posts thus support a series of aerial"conducto1's, arranged above the tank and forming a net workabove the same, and

all of the conductors are grounded through ductor to the ground. At the same time the posts are insulated from these'conductors. As is known, lightning is a serious menace to oil tanks, frequently firing the tanks because of the fact that there is inflammable gas arising from the oil. lVith the net work-of conductors above the tank, any discharge of lightning will be conducted'quietly away into the ground without damage to the tank. As is known, lightning tends to travel by the easiest road, and the conductors 8, 9 and'lO offer less resistance than does the am In practice the posts 2- will beof iron or steel pipe about one hundred feet in height, and they will be arranged just outside the fire wall 21. Preferably each conductor 20 is connected directly with the adjacent ends of the conductors S, 9, 10 and 11.

' I claim 1. In combination with the oil tank and the fire wall thereof, of a series of metal posts encircling the tank outside the fire wall, a wire encircling the posts at the outer sides thereof intermediate the ends of the posts, a pair of guy wires bracing each post at the outer side thereof, the members of each. pair being connected with a common anchor and with the post at the level of the first-named wire and at the top, an insulator connected with the top of each post at the inner side thereof, conductors arranged be tween and connecting the insulators of adjacent posts, the alternate posts and the di- --rectly opposite posts, and forming a net work above the tank, each of the said conductors having one end connected to the insulator and the other grounded, each of the said conductors passing downwardly through the hollow post, and each post having a brush of small conducting wires at the top thereof, each of the insulators comprising an eye and a ring connected by insulating material, the eye of each insulator being connected to the post, and the ring being connected to the conductors,

2. In combination with the oil tank and the firewall thereof, of a series of metal posts encircling the tank outside the firewall, a wire encircling the'posts at the outer sides thereof intermediate the ends of the posts, a pair of guy wires bracing each post at the outer side thereof, the members of each pair being connected with a common anchor and with the post at the top andat the level of the first-named wire, an insulator connected with the top of each post at the inner side thereof, each insulator havinga ring at its inner end and conductors arranged between and connecting the rings of ,Gopies of this patent may be obtained adjacent posts, of the alternate posts and of the directly opposite posts, and forming a network above the tank, and an insulated conductor connecting each ring with the ground, each of the said conductors having one end-connected to the ring and the other grounded, each of the said conductors passing downwardly through the hollow post, and each post having a brush of small conducting wires at the top thereof.

3. In combination with the oil tank and the fire wall thereof, of a series of metal posts encircling the tank outside the fire wall, a wire encircling the posts at the outer sides thereof intermediate the ends of the posts, a pair of guy wires bracing each post at the outer side thereof, the members of each pair being connected with a common anchor and with the post at the top and at the level of the first-named wire, an insulator connected with the top of each post at the inner side thereof, each insulator having a ring at its inner end and conductors arranged between and connecting the rings of the adjacent posts, of the alternate posts and of the directly opposite posts, and forming a net work above the tank, and an insulated conductor connecting each ring with the ground, each of the said conductors having one end connected to the ring and the other grounded.

4. In combination with the oil tank, of a series of posts encircling the tank, means for bracing the posts against each other and against the ground, an insulator connected with the topof each post at the inner side thereof, each insulator having a ring at its inner end, and conductors arranged between and connecting the rings of the adjacent posts, of the alternate posts, and of the directly opposite posts, and forming a network above the tank, and an insulated conductor connected with each ring at one end and grounded at the other end, each of the said conductors passing downwardly through the post, and each post having a brush of small conducting wires at the top thereof.

5. In combination with the oil tank, of a series of posts encircling the tank, 'means for bracing the posts against each other and against the ground, an insulator connectedfor live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). G. 

